Human rights

Human rights standards have been established by international agreement. They are based on universal norms applicable to every society and include such rights as non-discrimination, freedom of association and collective bargaining, and protection against child labour or forced labour. In addition to being in compliance with local and international law, companies are expected by their stakeholders to observe human rights as part of their social responsibility. However, many companies are discovering that it can also be a tool for improving business performance.

In a global economy, it is expected that companies should be transparent and consistent in their operations no matter where they operate. As a result, companies are incorporating human rights into their policies and international initiatives are underway to develop harmonised human rights standards that relate directly to business.

Novo Nordisk is committed to supporting and respecting human rights. Support for the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) has been an important part of the company’s commitment to social responsibility since 1998. This commitment entails that Novo Nordisk seeks to set high objectives and integrates human rights considerations into its business. This includes maintaining an open dialogue with stakeholders and reporting annually on human rights.

Novo Nordisk works to promote and protect human rights wherever it operates in the world, and since 2002 has conducted a programme of systematic evaluation of its suppliers. The evaluation comprises key aspects of human rights.

As a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, Novo Nordisk is committed to supporting and respecting the protection of human rights throughout its sphere of influence. This is defined as any stakeholder relating to Novo Nordisk over which the company can exert influence. Furthermore, Novo Nordisk wants to exercise a positive influence in the business community by taking a leadership role in relation to human rights and corporate responsibility.

Novo Nordisk is, in principle, in favour of the establishment over time of standards on human rights applicable to business. To contribute to meeting these challenges, Novo Nordisk has joined the Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights (BLIHR), which in 2003 gathered a group of leading companies under the chair of former UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Mary Robinson in a three-year programme to help lead and develop the corporate response to human rights. The initiative has worked with and evaluated the draft United Nations Norms of the Responsibilities of Trans-national Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights. 

Here are some of the ways in which Novo Nordisk acts on its commitment to human rights:

Human rights are extremely broad and so to date Novo Nordisk has had no single policy or procedure covering them all. Many aspects are embedded in different parts of the business, eg equal opportunities, occupational health, trade union liaison etc within Corporate People & Organisation intellectual property-related issues in Corporate Patents, and access to health issues. The Novo Nordisk Way of Management sets the tone both specifically in its support for the UNDHR and in the way that it specifies how Novo Nordisk should conducts business more generally. It also includes the Fundamental that ‘Every manager must establish and maintain procedures in the unit for living up to relevant laws, regulations, and group commitments', which obliges managers to consider how they fulfil Novo Nordisk’s human rights commitment in their own sphere of business activity.

Novo Nordisk is using its position as a world leader in diabetes care to promote human rights in the context of improved access to diabetes care. The company’s strategy in this area is built on the World Health Organization’s (WHO's) four priorities for access to health. Novo Nordisk believes it can play a leading role in helping people with diabetes around the world to achieve greater access to health.

The Novo Nordisk Sustainable Supply Chain Management Programme (SSCM) works to ensure that human rights are systematically integrated into purchasing decisions. In 2002, when the SSCM was launched, all purchasers were trained in the human rights and associated ILO convention requirements which form the basis of the programme. In order to update new employees and for trained employees to remain focused on the issue, a website is available where all the rights and their ILO requirements  are explained, ie why they are important, how to spot violations, and the company’s requirements. Human rights included in and the SSCM programme concern: wages and benefits, working hours, health & safety, child labour, bonded labour, discrimination, disciplinary measures and privacy.

The company has opportunities an equal opportunities and diversity programme intended to prevent all forms of discrimination.

Novo Nordisk has always had a positive view of trade unions and works constructively with them within the parameters of local legislation. Child labour and forced or compulsory labour are clearly incompatible with the Novo Nordisk Way of Management.

Training has been focused on specific issue areas such as equal opportunities, supply chain management etc. To date at Novo Nordisk, the values and commitments associated with observing human rights are a part of a great deal of general training.

Employee induction sets the scene by introducing in great detail the Novo Nordisk Way of Management, including the importance of its social and environmental responsibility commitments. Fulfilling the commitment to human rights comes down to the conduct of the company’s employees. In this regard, training of new managers, while not explicitly articulated in terms of human rights emphasises the appropriate behaviours, culture and treatment of people to be fostered within the company.

NNS Sikring is a separate service company which is approved by the Danish police to conduct approved security services. As part of this approval, their work and function is based on national Danish legislation which respects human rights.

Novo Nordisk conducts facilitations and has an ombudsman as part of the Novo Nordisk Way of Management, which is implemented for any employees issues, irrespective of whether the appeal/grievances are related to human rights.

As part of the BLIHR work, Novo Nordisk has contributed to the development of a Guide for Implementing Human Rights into Business Management, which has been produced jointly with the United Nations Global Compact and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Novo Nordisk has, together with the other BLIHR companies, also liaised with John Ruggie, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on business and human rights. Work is ongoing to clarify business responsibilities in relation to issues such as complicity, where no generally accepted standards exist.

This page has been assessed by PricewaterhouseCoopers as part of its assessment of Novo Nordisk’s statement that it reports ‘in accordance’ with GRI. Please refer to Audit and assurance for a full description of the nature of assurance offered.